The Wadera or Feudal Lord culture was portrayed by the British during colonial India. They aimed to rule over Indians, but ruling them directly proved impossible due to various reasons. Instead, they appointed elites or landlords of the regions as Sardars or Rajas of their respective areas. Since then, in many parts of what is now India and Pakistan, the Wadera or Nawab culture has endured. After the partition, India dismantled the monarchy. However, in Pakistan’s Sindh and Baluchistan provinces, rural areas remain under the significant and influential control of these Waderas and Feudal Lords who aligned with the British.
Following Pakistan’s independence, the entire country came under the influence of a powerful military. Yet, in these two provinces, the situation is worse. Ongoing human rights exploitation persists. The Waderas don’t even allow the working-class people to send their children to school. There is no freedom of expression or right to security. Public opinion is nearly non-existent. The working class is compelled to send their children into a life of servitude until they grow old or die.
We can analyze the situation through the recent case of a 9-year-old maid who was raped and tortured to death by the influential Pi Asad Shah, the Wadera of Sindh’s Khairpur. The question arises as to why the victim’s family remained silent and did not seek justice. They were threatened. This highlights that the Waderas of Sindh and Baluchistan are powerful landlords who manipulate their tenants. They hold the roles of judge, jury, and executioner.
In the most recent case from Baluchistan, the burnt dead bodies of a woman and her two sons were discovered in Burkhan district. Sardar Abdul Rehman Khetran, a member of the Balochistan Awami Party, has been alleged to have maintained a private jail, and he is accused of torturing and murdering many individuals, including this woman and her two sons.
Another member of the Pakistan National Assembly, Jam Abdul Karim Bijar, is alleged to have tortured and murdered Nizam Sajwal Jokhio in Sindh.
On January 17th, 2018, Karamulla Chandio and his sons were killed in Sindh by two MPAs of the Sindh Assembly. The MPAs were found guilty but had already obtained bail from the court.
In December 2012, a young 20-year-old, Shahzeb Khan, was shot dead by the son of feudal lord Sikandar Jatoi, Shahrukh, and his accomplice. The anti-terrorism court initially sentenced the murderers to death, but later the Sindh High Court converted the sentence to life imprisonment.
These are just a few cases among hundreds of unsolved, unknown, and unjust incidents. Pakistan cannot progress until these crucial, oppressive feudal lords are in power. May Allah accept the shahadat (martyrdom) of those who lost their lives, and may the people of Pakistan open their eyes against this blind justice and brutality. Wake up Pakistan, wake up, and fight for your freedom.